There is anger in the former township of Barclay over a recommendation to close the Fire Hall.
Allan Wice says the facility is the last piece of their identity, and he is frustrated with a lack of City services in the area.
He says he would challenge the City to see if the amount of taxes it collects is being spent in the Barclay area.
Wice says they are tired of paying high taxes, noting people are trying to sell their homes but have received little interest.
His wife Suzanne agrees and she is also concerned about insurance impacts if the building is shuttered.
Wice says her insurance company has stated that their coverage area is only 8-kilometres, as opposed to the regular 13-kilometres.
She believe they will still be covered, but is worried their insurance rates will go up.
The public will have a chance to comment on the planned closure of the Barclay Fire Hall on May 8th at the Committee of the Whole meeting.
Those interested will have to sign the proper delegation forms at City Hall.
Council is then expected to vote on the recommendation on May 15th.
Chief Administrative Officer Ernie Remillard agrees that the public should get a chance to have a say.
Remillard says the City is always trying to find ways to address infrastructure deficits and reduce costs.
He says yearly costs to operate Fire Hall 2 is in the range of $75,000.
A report indicates the Barclay facility is reaching a state of major maintenance and repair costs.
It also states that most communities the size of Dryden only have one fire hall.
The report to Council indicates merging firefighters into Fire Hall 1 for emergency response and training will improve response times.
